Summary: Harmony and Echo are mermaid best friends who love collecting sea glass, reading fairy tales, and daydreaming. But while Harmony is a carefree young mermaid who loves to have fun, Echo is more anxious, often worrying about details of her life. The upcoming ballet performance has her stressed, so Harmony comes up with a solution: if Echo is feeling nervous during the show, she should reach over and squeeze Harmony’s hand. On the big night, Echo begins to worry, but once she starts dancing, she’s fine. The two mermaids hold hands for their final bows and agree to use the hand squeeze in the future as their secret way to calm Echo’s fears. 40 pages; ages 4-8.
Pros: There can never be enough mermaid books, and the cover alone will have it flying off the library shelves. Brigette Barrager is the Uni the Unicorn illustrator and works her magic with the underwater scenes and mer-world.
Cons: Echo might want to seek out a mer-therapist to complement the hand-squeezing technique.
Summary: Long ago, a community formed in the desert to live their lives at night and keep the Moon Spirit company. In return, the Spirit gave them a special tree that made their lives easier. The tree had to be pollinated once a year by Moon-Moths. Now Anya has become an apprentice Moth Keeper, going out every night into the desert, sometimes with her guardian Yeolen and sometimes alone. Anya had a tough childhood, seen in flashbacks, and she sometimes fears the dark and longs to spend her days in the daylight. But when she causes a near-catastrophe with the moths, she realizes the importance of her community and her role in it. Helped by them, she’s able to correct her mistake and finds new beauty and connection in her nightly work. 272 pages; grades 4-8.
Pros: The gorgeous illustrations make this fantasy tale one that readers will want to revisit over and over again. K. O’Neill has created a magical world filled with mystery, beauty, and a tight-knit, loving community.
Cons: Be sure to spend plenty of time on the wordless pages of the book to fully understand the story. I found myself confused more than once.
Summary: While the other caterpillars keep their heads down and eat milkweed the way they’re supposed to, Charley likes to look up at the trees and the clouds and the stars. The caterpillars are taught to focus on the orange and black patterns that will one day make them into monarch butterflies, but Charley often gets distracted by the beautiful things all around him. He’s excited when it’s time to form his chrysalis but once inside, he’s unsure of what to do. Orange and black, right? But Charley can’t help remembering the blues and yellows of the birds and sun. As summer moves on, the other butterflies start to emerge, but Charley’s chrysalis remains unchanged. “I’m not surprised,” says one of the older butterflies. Then, finally, here comes Charley, but instead of black and orange he’s a unique, colorful montage of all the things he has ever loved. 40 pages; ages 4-8.
Pros: The beautiful illustrations show the colorful world that Charley loves, and the story celebrates those who don’t always quite fit in or follow the rules.
Cons: I love the message, but I thought it could have been delivered with a lighter touch, like Kelly DiPucchio did in Gaston, one of my favorite books to read to kids.
Summary: Simon and his parents have moved to Grin and Bear It, Nebraska, a small town in the National Quiet Zone, a place where there’s no internet to help astronomers better listen for sounds of life in outer space. While most seventh graders would rebel about this, Simon is happy to hide away two years after he was the sole survivor of a school shooting. It’s hard to blend in, though, when his mom’s the unconventional town undertaker and his dad is a sackbut-playing Catholic deacon dealing with what comes to be known as the Jesus squirrel, and before long Simon has two interesting new friends, Kevin and Agate. Agate has a plan to give the scientists the extraterrestrial contact they’ve been looking for. When Simon’s identity is discovered by his new town, he hopes that helping Agate will result in some even bigger news that will draw the attention away from him and his family. Their plan kind of works, but all kinds of complications result in a satisfactory, if unexpected, ending. 320 pages; grades 5-8.
Pros: I would not have thought it possible to write about the aftermath of a horrific school shooting with a light touch and one-of-a-kind characters, but Erin Bow pulls it off magnificently in an unforgettable novel that should be considered for all kinds of awards.
Summary: In this follow-up to Danbi Leads the School Parade, Danbi is excited to celebrate Children’s Day. “Back in Korea,” Danbi tells her friends when she invites them to the celebration, “it’s the day when all your wishes come true.” But Danbi’s parents, who have to work at their deli, can’t host a big party. Her mother reminds her that Children’s Day is “about celebrating the children on Earth who will one day lead the world.” They compromise with a party behind the deli, and all the children arrive on the big day. There’s dancing and drawing with sidewalk chalk until a sudden storm sends everyone inside. Danbi is sure the party is ruined, but her parents give the kids permission to eat whatever they want from the deli, and that, combined with her mother’s special rainbow cake, makes Children’s Day a true celebration of children. 40 pages; ages 4-8.
Pros: The story and illustrations convey the joyful energy Danbi seems to bring to all aspects of her life and can serve as a good introduction to the Children’s Day holiday.
Cons: No additional information about Children’s Day.
Summary: Girls and women in these pages learn to build increasingly larger, more complex objects. First, it’s a box or birdhouse, then they move on to designing a trellis, a table, and a treehouse for a new playground. There can be setbacks when projects don’t go as planned, but taking a break and starting again can get you where you want to go. By the end, a team of women has created a new building at the entrance of the playground. 32 pages; ages 4-8.
Pros: The cheery text and illustrations provide an empowering introduction to get girls (and boys) excited about learning to use tools and building their own projects.
Cons: That it still seems like something of a novelty for girls and women to be using tools and building things.
Summary: Naturalist Sy Montgomery writes engagingly about turtles, starting with descriptions of their anatomy and evolution. She describes turtle species who hold the records for most colorful, stinkiest, fastest, largest, and more. There are celebrity turtle profiles and information on how turtles communicate. Turtles, protected by their shells, have survived for more than 200 million years, but now many species are endangered due to human activities. The final few pages tell readers different ways they can help them survive. Includes a glossary, bibliography, and list of resources. 40 pages; grades K-4.
Pros: Montgomery has a knack for focusing on facts and information that will be of most interest to readers. The acrylic paintings look almost like photos and show incredible details of a wide variety of turtles. Kids who already love turtles will be thrilled, and others may become fans after reading this book.
Cons: I wish this book had been around during my daughter’s decade-long obsession with turtles.
Summary: Jesús is excited to be spending Saturday helping Papá with his landscaping job. It’s hot work, and Jesús is put in charge of the water jug, which Papá tells him is like a magical clock–when the jug is empty, it’s time to go home. Jesús enjoys sharing water with the customers’ pets and splashing some on his face to cool off. In no time at all, the jug is empty, and Jesús is ready to go home. Unfortunately, it’s only 10:30 and there are 11 more customers waiting! Papá straightens his son out about the “magic”, then sends him to the house to refill the jug. Lesson learned, Jesús works hard for the rest of the day, realizing that the real magic is the teamwork between him and Papá. 48 pages; ages 4-8.
Pros: A charming memory recounted by comedian Jesús Trejo. The comic style illustrations perfectly complement the funny text (be sure to check out the cartoon landscapers on the endpapers), which also shows the heartwarming bond between father and son.
Cons: I wish there had been more information about the real Jesús and his Papá.
Summary: Meesh struggles with things that come easy for most demons her age, like breathing fire and puking acid, and is often picked on by a bully named Xavier. She prefers befriending flowers and watching the Princess Nouna TV show with her grandmother. When a mysterious substance starts turning demons into stone, Meesh realizes it’s up to her to save her community. She goes off in search of Princess Nouna but is dismayed by the real-life princess when they finally meet. The two unwittingly wind up going on a series of adventures together, during which Meesh discovers some new powers. Eventually, they add a couple more kids to their group, including, much to Meesh’s surprise, Xavier. Working together, the team manages to save the demons, and a surprising twist at the end will have readers eagerly awaiting a sequel. 304 pages; grades 3-7.
Pros: This manga-style comic is sure to be a big hit, with its gorgeous art, non-stop adventures, creative world-building, and loveable team of misfits that learn to accept each other and work together to do great things.
Cons: I think this is a “me” problem, but I do struggle in fantasy graphic novels to keep track of the various characters and their worlds.
If you have even a passing interest in children’s literature, sooner or later you’re going to end up in western Massachusetts. A disproportionate number of children’s book authors and illustrators have made their homes here: Micha Archer, Holly Black, Eric Carle, Mike Curato, Tony DiTerlizzi, Mordicai Gerstein, Hollie Hobbie, Norton Juster, Jarrett Krosoczka, Julius Lester, Patricia MacLachlan, Dr. Seuss, Mo Willems, Jane Yolen, and a bunch more. If you want to cross paths with movie stars, go to L.A., but if you want to run into your kid lit favorites, you need go no further west than Amherst.
Start your day at the epicenter, the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst. The film Eric Carle, Picture Writer, shown daily at 11:30, gives a good introduction to the artist’s life and work. From there, you can take in the exhibits, currently featuring Claire A. Nivola, Christian Robinson, Eric Carle in Japan, and the connection between picture books and letter writing. If you’re lucky enough to have some kids with you, enjoy a story time and/or art project, and be sure to visit the bookstore and library. To learn about Carle’s life and art before you go, read The Art of Eric Carle (The World of Eric Carle, 2021).
Inside the Center – no weeding allowed.
The Yiddish Book Center
A logical next step is the Yiddish Book Center, just half a mile away. I learned about the center when I read The Book Rescuer: How a Mensch from Massachusetts Saved Yiddish Literature for Generations to Come by Sue Macy (Paula Wiseman Books, 2019), which gives a history of the center and its founder, Aaron Lansky. It’s a fascinating story, and if you have any interest in Judaism, Yiddish, preserving languages, or archives, you will undoubtedly find much to enjoy here. As a librarian, I tend to weed any collection with ruthless abandon, so this visit made me (briefly) reconsider my minimalist tendencies.
Emily Dickinson Museum
Drive a few miles up the road, and you’ll be in downtown Amherst, home to the main campus of the University of Massachusetts as well as the Emily Dickinson Museum. If you want a guided tour, buy your tickets online in advance (or call to get the teacher discount). You can also wander through the house on your own. If your impression of Emily Dickinson is (as mine was) the reclusive woman dressed all in white, I recommend the guided tour to get a more fleshed-out picture of the poet.
I’d read a few children’s books about Dickinson: On Wings of Words by Jennifer Berne (Chronicle, 2020), a biography that weaves in a lot of Emily’s poetry; Emily and Carlo by Marty Rhodes Figley (Charlesbridge, 2012) about Emily’s relationship with her beloved dog Carlo, and Emily by Michael Bedard (Doubleday, 1992), a historical fiction story told by one of Emily’s young neighbors, and beautifully illustrated by Barbara Cooney. A visit to the museum gift shop led me to discover a few more: Emily Writesby Jane Yolen (Henry Holt, 2020), recounts scenes from Emily’s early childhood and her first attempts at writing and Becoming Emily by Krystyna Poray Goddu (Chicago Review Press, 2019), is a longer biography for older elementary kids and young adults. For child-friendly poetry collections, try Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson edited by Frances Schoonmaker Bolin (Sterling, 1994) and Poetry for Kids: Emily Dickinson edited by Susan Snively (MoonDance, 2016).
Friendly fossils
Mammoth discoveries
A two-minute drive or eight-minute walk will get you to the Beneski Museum of Natural History at the University of Massachusetts. You may want to keep your car in downtown Amherst and walk, as campus parking can be a bit of a dicey proposition, especially on weekdays. Museum admission is free. This is a university museum, so kids should be old enough to treat the exhibits with respect, but anyone with an interest in paleontology or geology will find plenty to keep them interested. I’m sure all paleontology fans have their favorite books, so I’ll just mention a few of mine here: Prehistoric Actual Size by Steve Jenkins (Clarion, 2015), Mammoths on the Move by Lisa Wheeler (Clarion, 2006), and the Science Comics entry Dinosaurs: Fossils and Feathers by MK Reed (First Second, 2016)
By the time you’re through the Beneski, you’ll undoubtedly be ready for lunch, dinner, or a snack, so get back in the car and head to Northampton. The E.J. Gare parking garage is centrally located and cheap (the sign at the entrance says it all: “Where the coffee is strong and so are the women…and the first hour in this garage is always free!”). There are plenty of cafes and restaurants in downtown Northampton: Jake’s, Woodstar, and Haymarket are three of my favorites. You’ll exit the garage through Thorne’s which has some good shopping, including coffee and a bookstore.
Right next door to Thorne’s, you’ll find R. Michelson Galleries, which, in my opinion, gives the Eric Carle Museum a run for its money if you want to see original artwork from children’s literature. There’s an abundance of it on display and for sale by such luminaries as Mo Willems, Jason Chin, Carson Ellis, Mark Teague, Emily Arnold McCully, Dr. Seuss, Grace Lin, Brian Pinkney, and Maurice Sendak. It’s an art gallery, so no charge, and be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to take it all in.
Finally, Dr. Seuss fans can drive 25 minutes south to Springfield, where they can visit The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum. With its mix of Seuss-inspired exhibits for kids and Ted Geisel memorabilia, there’s something for everyone. Adult admission is $25, which covers all five of the Springfield museums, featuring art, history, and science. A ten-minute drive gets you to the Zoo in Forest Park, where Ted Geisel’s father worked as Superintendent, which may have inspired Dr. Seuss’s zany animal creations. En route, you can drive past 74 Fairfield Street where young Ted lived. You might recognize the address from the picture book biography, The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss by Kathleen Krull (Random House, 2004). Be sure to have some actual cash on hand, as the cash-only admission to the park is $3.00 for Massachusetts residents and $5.00 for out-of-staters. There’s an additional fee for the zoo.
A Kids Book A Day 